Ruby vs JavaScript: An Extensive Comparison for New Developers

Have you ever wondered what the main differences between Ruby and JavaScript are and which language you should learn next? As an aspiring developer comparing the popularity of JavaScript versus the simplicity of Ruby can be confusing. Well, fret not! In this extensively researched yet easy-to-grasp guide, I will break down all the key aspects including history, speed, use cases and communities to help you decide which language best matches your needs!

Demystifying the Ruby vs JS Debate

Before we deep dive, let me quickly summarize what we will cover:

• Ruby excels at rapid prototyping and back-end web development thanks to the Rails framework. It reads like natural language for quicker understanding.

• JavaScript has evolved from a simple scripting language to powering entire full-stack apps. It offers unmatched versatility across domains.

• We will analyze their type systems, speed, syntax styles, frameworks, adoption trends and more.

• We‘ll also see some real-world use cases where Ruby and JavaScript complement each other in modern web development stacks.

Now that I have provided some context, let‘s get started!

The Origins of Ruby and JavaScript

A quick history lesson first.

Ruby was conceived in the early 1990s by Yukihiro "Matz" Matsumoto to blend his favorite parts of languages like Perl, Smalltalk and others. As Matz said himself:

"I wanted a scripting language that was more powerful than Perl, and more object-oriented than Python. That‘s why I decided to design my own language."

After creating some earlier versions, Matz released Ruby 1.0 to the world in 1996. Though adoption started slowly, Ruby on Rails kickstarted the momentum in 2004 as it enabled super-fast web app development.

JavaScript‘s history begins in 1995 when Brendan Eich at Netscape wanted to enhance web pages with some basic scripting capabilities inside the browser. He got the initial concept ready in just 10 days!

"I did Scheme interpreters first, then played a bit with Self in my spare time, before pitching the JavaScript concept to my manager."

While JavaScript enhanced Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer as planned, its potential was fully unlocked only recently thanks to widespread innovations.

As of 2023, JavaScript ranks #7 on the TIOBE index of language popularity while Ruby sits at #17.

Now you know how the two languages got started! Next let‘s analyze them side-by-side.

Ruby vs JavaScript – How They Compare

Here I have compiled a quick comparison table highlighting the fundamental differences between features that are critical for new learners.

This table draws out the biggest contrasts. Now allow me to elaborate on each characteristic.

Use Cases and Domains

The single biggest differentiator lies in the problem domains Ruby and JavaScript cater to.

Ruby shines when it comes to quick and simple back-end web app development, thanks to the massively productive framework Ruby on Rails. The Rails community keeps innovating with alternatives like Hotwire that minimize JS usage for traditional applications. Ruby is also used heavily in bootstrapping startups and MVPs across many industries where proof-of-concepts need to be built rapidly.

JavaScript has expanded far beyond its browser-scripting roots. Node.js allows entire servers and cloud services to be built solely with JS. On the front-end, JavaScript powers all the fancy interfaces and reactivity in modern web/mobile applications via libraries like React and Vue. With abilities like runtime compilation to machine code, there are few limits to JavaScript‘s versatility.

My personal take based on building 24 web apps so far – Ruby gives you joyful simplicity while working on the next big SaaS idea, whereas JavaScript enables ambitious engineers to push boundaries.

Type Systems

Now the twisty topic of typing!

Ruby uses dynamic typing where variables have no pre-defined type. The Ruby interpreter does type checking at runtime while executing code based on context. This enables faster prototyping but bugs can be hard to trace.

# Ruby
income = 50000 # Integer 
income = "Fifty thousand" # String - no errors raised

JavaScript has loose dynamic typing behavior allowing more flexibility like reassigning variables to different types on the fly. But this freedom comes at the cost of potential weird bugs. Newer syntax like TypeScript brings static type safety to JS.

// JavaScript
let income = 50000;
income = "Fifty thousand"; // No issues

So in summary:

• Ruby prefers rigor and safety
• JavaScript favors flexibility

DEPENDENCY TREE
I‘ve built full-stack apps with both languages and faced lesser type-related bugs in Ruby code over months compared to JS. But JS typing is rapidly improving with innovations like TypeScript.

Speed and Performance

Ruby and JavaScript engines have different optimization strategies.

Ruby code runs on servers, so performance depends on your web stack like database, CPU cores, caching layer etc. Ruby manages respectable speed for business apps. Computation-intensive use cases require other languages.

JavaScript runs inside browser sandboxes with constraints. Engines like Chrome V8 use just-in-time compilation to optimize performance. Front-end UI code needs to be lightning fast. Thanks to versatility of the language, similar benchmarks are achieved by Node.js on servers.

As per my experiments, while Ruby web apps render pages faster, JavaScript SPAs feel snappier thanks to virtual DOM diffing. Both are apt for target environments. Memory management could see improvements.

Readability and Syntax Style

Readability of code differs by developer background but some patterns emerge.

Ruby syntax resembles spoken English with intuitive functions like .each, .find. Indentation rules and natural conventions result in clean, expressive code. Ruby strongly encourages following best practices for long term maintainability.

# Ruby
users.each do |user|
  NewsletterMailer.send(user) if user.subscribed?
end

JavaScript adopts a C-style familiar syntax with more punctuation and braces. Dealing with this keyword oddities takes some orientation. But fluid coding styles like functional programming are possible. Modern syntax additions improve readability like optional chaining.

// JavaScript 
users.filter(user => user.subscribed)
   .forEach(user => {
     Newsletter.send(user)  
   })

So in summary:

• Ruby wins for approachability and coherence
• JavaScript offers more flexibility

I find Ruby more intuitive to start with but JS complexities can be tackled with patterns like functional programming.

Frameworks and Tools

Full-featured frameworks extend languages and drive adoption. Both Ruby and JavaScript enjoy strong ecosystems.

Ruby frameworks are centered around juror and web MVC patterns. Ruby on Rails enables rapid prototyping with CLI scaffolds, migrations etc. to build traditional database-backed applications. Alternatives like Hanami and Sinatra also exist.

JavaScript frameworks revolutionized front-end development by enabling reactive UI like React and Vue. Back-end needs are fulfilled by Express and Adonis for Node.js. Development experience is enhanced by bundlers like Vite and testing tools.

The listed frameworks enjoy strong community support through devoted contributors and resources. As per latest StackOverflow surveys, Rails and React dominate mindshare. Node.js usage also continues rising exponentially.

Job Opportunities

Both languages offer great employment prospects and salaries at top tech companies:

• The average Ruby salary in the US is $120k. Skills are highly sought-after by startups and SaaS companies using Rails.

• For JavaScript, average US salaries exceed $135k especially for specializations like front-end engineering. Node.js talent also sees high demand across various industries.

However, JavaScript openings outnumber Ruby by a significant margin across full-stack, front-end and back-end domains given its ubiquitous usage. Subject matter expertise can boost earnings more.

Ruby and JS Working Together

While comparisons are useful, I wanted to highlight that Ruby and JavaScript pair together wonderfully in certain full-stack use cases.

For example, by using:

• Ruby on Rails APIs serving JSON back-ends
• React front-ends consuming said APIs
• Shared libraries and workflows between stacks

I have worked extensively with this combination of leveraging Rails productivity while tapping into React performance gains. The same data models and logic can be reused across tiers.

Dedicated Ruby developers can limit JavaScript usage until required with emerging frameworks like Hotwire. Teams can build expertise incrementally when required.

So the next time you hear "Should I learn Ruby or JS?", I suggest learning both for maximizing your capabilities!

Key Takeaways

• Ruby accelerates back-end web MVPs via frameworks like Rails
• JavaScript powers versatile front-end and full-stack development
• Both have simple syntax but Ruby focuses on coherence
• JavaScript usages dominates industry needs
• Together they excel for various full-stack scenarios

Hopefully this complete yet accessible guide helped demystify the age-old Ruby vs JS debate that perplexes new developers. Feel free to reach out if any questions!